After a run of improved tournament results without actually hitting any real big money, last night I finally managed to hit a sizeable score.
The Crypto £15K (as usual). Twenty minutes in, there was an odd hand. I call a minimum raise on the small blind with 87s. The three cards in the middle are 776. I check (looking to check raise) and the button bets 30 into a pot of 240. This annoys me (though I'm mostly annoyed because I didn't bet out) but I raise to 120 to signify strength so the sandwiched players will pass, but not enough to lose the bettor. It goes to plan and the turn is a 2 (which puts 2 clubs on the board). I bet 300 into the pot of 480 and the other guy calls. River is an off suit 4 so I go all-in for 650 more, He has lots more chips than me so I'm hoping it's not going to scare him off. He calls with K8 and I take the pot. He had no pair. At no point did he have a draw to anything and yet he called me down, even at the end when he couldn't beat high card Ace!! Thanks for the double up, dipstick (Valmont is his name).
Another double up happens when my pre-flop raise with KQ gets a flop of QQJ (I'm hitting trips nicely so far) and I take out an AJ.
Sometimes you have to bet when you may not have the best hand to find out where you are, especially if there's a chance you could take a pot immediately. Such an occasion arose when I saw a free flop of 962 rainbow when I had J2 in the BB. There were 4 of us in the hand and the pot was 400. Now, there is a chance my pair of twos is good at the moment, as this is a flop which may not have hit anyone. Also, a check from me may allow someone else to bet - a bet I could not call. So I bet, hoping to win the pot right there. I try 300, which could be viewed as being too much (3/4 of the pot). The reason I did this is because we were still fairly early in the tournament (first hour) and so the chaff had not yet been sorted. These fish tend to call any small bet to see another card, so I wanted to scare them off. Unfortunately fo me, the last player to act went all in over the top of me. Did he read me for a steal, or did he have an actual hand? Who knows - but at least I knew where I was in the hand and so could fold, but it did cost me 300 chips. Maybe fewer chips would have had the desired effect?
The very next hand was of note for a very simple reason - I wasn't paying attention properly. I'm on SB and call 3 limpers with 65s. Five see the flop of J43, giving me an outside straight draw. I'm first to act and I've recently been coming out and betting draws from the blinds, to try and take control, rather than let someone else push me off the hand. However this time I think I must have still been thinking about what happened on the previous hand, so I checked, as did the two who followed. There is then a min bet of 100 and a call back to me. I call the 100 (pot is 700 at this point), BB folds and then the next player goes all in for 1070 chips. Original bettor folds, next player (Valmont - the muppet from earlier) calls and it's back to me.
I quickly try and do some maths in my head (that timer doesn't half move quickly when you're trying to calculate things). There was about 2800 in the pot and I needed 970 more to call the two all in players. Odds of nearly 3/1. I assume I'm behind but that I have 8 full outs to win, so I think I have just about the right pot odds to call (this is very marginal at best) so that's what I do.
The turn is a King and I wait for the final card to fall. Except that it doesn't. In my haste to add chips up in my head, I failed to notice that Valmont was not all in at all - indeed he had me covered. If I check, and he bets (which he's liable to do - betting into a dry pot would be something I expect him to do) then I have a horrible call to make. I'm so annoyed with myself for making the error of calling the all in that I have a 'sod it' moment and go all in, hoping Valmont will fold and thus at least protect the 2500 chips I have left. Thankfully, he does fold, the river is another Jack and the all in player shows 44 for a full house. As far as badly played hands go, I'm not going to get much worse than this.
I see a free flop with one other player (Truckone) of T76 (2 clubs). I have Q9 but decide to make a semi-bluff at the pot with my gutshot draw. It gets called and the turn is a red 6. There's nearly 2000 in the pot and the other player has 5500. I go all in for 2835, because I put him on a flush draw and I want him to fold, which he does. I'm up to 4785.
A few hands later and I see another free 3-way flop with JT. Cards fall 633. SB checks, I check and Truckone bets 400 at a pot of 1200. This looks like a steal and, knowing I pushed him off a previous hand, I reraise him all in (3600 more). To my horror, he immediately calls. Crap!. He turns over A8, so he was trying to steal, but he also correctly read my reraise as a rebluff, and thought his Ace high was good (which it was at this point). However, turn comes a Ten and I double up to 9620, which puts me 20th of 96 entrants still left in.
With the blinds at 1200/2400 (antes 300), and my stack at 8900 after posting the SB, I make an awful play. It's folded round to the button who raises my SB all in (he has me well covered). For some reason, I think 'blind steal' and call with A2. Even if I had thought it was a blind steal, A2 is an awful hand to make a stand with. He showed JJ and I hit an Ace on the turn to double up.
Next level (1500/3000) and I'm on the BB with KK. Early limper, min raise by cutoff. I push all in and the limper calls with AQ. He flops an Ace and I'm down to under 1BB left. Seems like any Ace is good tonight :-)
The next hand I'm all in on the SB with JT up against TT. I hit a runner-runner straight to get a lifeline. Two hands later it's folded round to me with 75s, so I go all in, everyone folds and I nearly double up just by winning the blinds and antes.
Three minutes later and I get KK again. This time I flop quads against the guy whose JJ I beat earlier and his AT is no good. This takes me up to 5th out of 16 left in and I'm flying. He gets some revenge when I foolishly reraise his all in with A5 and his A7 holds up, though as he's shortstacked it doesn't hurt me too much.
I then get lucky again when I reraise on the BB with K2. Admittedly I'm being aggressive as I only have 5BB left but this was a lunatic move. My reraise means he only has to put 10,000 more chips into a pot of 43,000 - calling with any two cards is the right move. Incredibly, he folded. After I expressed my surprise he said 'sorry, I clicked the wrong button'. I think this is bullshit and that he was stealing with rubbish, but doesn't understand pot odds enough to know that folding was wrong. Anyway - his loss.
I grab some blinds with JJ before the misclicker goes all in on my BB. It costs me 11000 to call him with a pot of 30000 and I decide to defend with Q2s. I'm pleased to see a flop of QJJ but his T9 gives him a straight draw which he hits on the turn. However, next hand, my QQ hold up against QT and I'm up to 60,000 chips and the final table!
I win one pot and then get 66 in mid position. An early position player goes all in for barely more than the big blind. There's already 21,000 in B+A in the pot so, technically, there's a case for reraising all in with any two cards (provided everyone behind you folds). As it is, my pair makes it an easy decision and his AQ doesn't improve. I now am in 2nd place of 7.
We lose one more player and there is one guy with 234,000 chips, with the rest of us between 70,000 and 95,000 (I have 85,000). I am on the button with AK of clubs. The player immediately before me goes all in and has me covered. I call and he shows QQ. I pick up a flush draw on the flop, in addition to my overcards, but get no help and I'm out in 6th, with £600 finding its way into my account.
So, analysis. It's my best MTT result for a while (and puts me in profit since I started recording results properly in a spreadsheet) despite the fact there were certainly five and maybe six hands that I played badly. Add this to the fact I got crippled with the first really good hand I got and you can see that Lady Luck was stroking me seductively in this tourney. Let's hope she deigns to continue her dalliance with me in the future.
Friday, April 29, 2005
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Tweaking the plan?
Maybe it might be time to give the tournament strategy a tweak. Last night started OK (got a double through with AA in first hour and then more than doubled-up when I reraised a late raiser with 33 on BB and they held up against his AT). At the second break I was average stack and lying 18th of 43.
I then got lucky when I went all in for 10,800 with A9 to grab 4,200 of blinds and antes and got called by the SB's AQ. A nine on the turn moved me to 25,000 chips (7th of 34).
Now, the next jump in prize money (doubling) was at 30 - so you'd think I'd make that easy, yes?. Each round was now costing 6,200 chips, so I couldn't just sit back and wait for top hands - blinds must be grabbed at least once a round. At 16,000 chips, I'm on the button and A4 seems good enough to go all-in (B+A are 6,000). SB has AQ and wins the hand. I have him covered so I'm still alive (though 2,700 with blinds at 1,200/2,400 is practically a coma).
My aim now is to try and hang on to get 30th - it's between me and a guy at another table, and we're both taking maximum time on our hands. He looks favourite to go out first, but he has slow-playing help on his table so I'm all-in first. As luck would have it. I'm happy to see my BB hand is a pair of tens, but someone else's AA does for me and I'm out in 31st. As for the other shortstack, he triples up with Aces and actually goes on to make the final table.
My possible reason for changing tactics came in an earlier hand. Normally, when I'm trying to grab the blinds late on, it's with a hand I don't want action with (Ax or a mid-low pair), so I don't mind going all-in for 9 or 10 BB or so, because that should scare off everything but a monster. However, in this tourney I got KK and thought about raising by the more usual 3 or 4 BB, to try and get some action. I decided against it, because it would make me very easy to read. All in it was, and everyone folded.
Could I possibly risk giving away some information about my hand to observant players in order to make more use of my huge hands? Lately I've not been able to build a huge stack in tourneys because I'm only ever picking up blinds late on, which keep me where I am, relative to other people, rather than propelling me towards tournament domination. Usually, the first time I get called, it's by a better hand and I'm gone.
Toy with trying to get action with big hands late on - don't just settle for the blinds.
Tonight I didn't get the chance to try the new tactic out as I crashed and burned just before the first break. I called a 4BB raise with 99 and two of us saw the flop of 66T (2 clubs). He checked and I pushed all in (I had about the pot in chips). He called with AK clubs and he filled his flush on the river.
I'm currently wondering whether it's 'all-in' or 'all in'. I veer between the two, but I think I'm coming to the opinion of losing the hyphen.
I then got lucky when I went all in for 10,800 with A9 to grab 4,200 of blinds and antes and got called by the SB's AQ. A nine on the turn moved me to 25,000 chips (7th of 34).
Now, the next jump in prize money (doubling) was at 30 - so you'd think I'd make that easy, yes?. Each round was now costing 6,200 chips, so I couldn't just sit back and wait for top hands - blinds must be grabbed at least once a round. At 16,000 chips, I'm on the button and A4 seems good enough to go all-in (B+A are 6,000). SB has AQ and wins the hand. I have him covered so I'm still alive (though 2,700 with blinds at 1,200/2,400 is practically a coma).
My aim now is to try and hang on to get 30th - it's between me and a guy at another table, and we're both taking maximum time on our hands. He looks favourite to go out first, but he has slow-playing help on his table so I'm all-in first. As luck would have it. I'm happy to see my BB hand is a pair of tens, but someone else's AA does for me and I'm out in 31st. As for the other shortstack, he triples up with Aces and actually goes on to make the final table.
My possible reason for changing tactics came in an earlier hand. Normally, when I'm trying to grab the blinds late on, it's with a hand I don't want action with (Ax or a mid-low pair), so I don't mind going all-in for 9 or 10 BB or so, because that should scare off everything but a monster. However, in this tourney I got KK and thought about raising by the more usual 3 or 4 BB, to try and get some action. I decided against it, because it would make me very easy to read. All in it was, and everyone folded.
Could I possibly risk giving away some information about my hand to observant players in order to make more use of my huge hands? Lately I've not been able to build a huge stack in tourneys because I'm only ever picking up blinds late on, which keep me where I am, relative to other people, rather than propelling me towards tournament domination. Usually, the first time I get called, it's by a better hand and I'm gone.
Toy with trying to get action with big hands late on - don't just settle for the blinds.
Tonight I didn't get the chance to try the new tactic out as I crashed and burned just before the first break. I called a 4BB raise with 99 and two of us saw the flop of 66T (2 clubs). He checked and I pushed all in (I had about the pot in chips). He called with AK clubs and he filled his flush on the river.
I'm currently wondering whether it's 'all-in' or 'all in'. I veer between the two, but I think I'm coming to the opinion of losing the hyphen.
Sunday, April 24, 2005
April £100K - sigh
OK, so after the initial rush of posts, nothing for nearly a week. I've been out and about a bit more over the last few days.
Just got knocked out of the April £100K tourney. Coming up to the first break and I haven't really had any hands. I see a cheap flop on the SB with K7s, which comes K76 (two spades). I'm first to act and consider betting out into the pot of 400, but the two players in late position have been quite aggressive at trying to take pots when no one has shown strength, so I check. One of them dulys bets 500 and it's back to me. I stick the rest of my 2400 chips in, to force out any draw he might has. Unfortunately, he hasn't read the script and thinks his K3 of spades is worth calling my bet. As it turns out, the Ace of spades on the river proves it was and I'm out in 402nd place. Grrr.
Friday night, I went out and played some live poker at a new club in London. Fourth Street Poker was started up by a group of guys who were fed up of going down the Gutshot and finding the tournament full. There were only 12 of us on Friday, but I had a lot of fun. I went out in 5th, two places off the money when my KK were beaten by KQ which hit a runner-runner straight. I think I'll try and make it a regular thing, as my live poker needs practice if I'm to move on in the game.
Just got knocked out of the April £100K tourney. Coming up to the first break and I haven't really had any hands. I see a cheap flop on the SB with K7s, which comes K76 (two spades). I'm first to act and consider betting out into the pot of 400, but the two players in late position have been quite aggressive at trying to take pots when no one has shown strength, so I check. One of them dulys bets 500 and it's back to me. I stick the rest of my 2400 chips in, to force out any draw he might has. Unfortunately, he hasn't read the script and thinks his K3 of spades is worth calling my bet. As it turns out, the Ace of spades on the river proves it was and I'm out in 402nd place. Grrr.
Friday night, I went out and played some live poker at a new club in London. Fourth Street Poker was started up by a group of guys who were fed up of going down the Gutshot and finding the tournament full. There were only 12 of us on Friday, but I had a lot of fun. I went out in 5th, two places off the money when my KK were beaten by KQ which hit a runner-runner straight. I think I'll try and make it a regular thing, as my live poker needs practice if I'm to move on in the game.
Monday, April 18, 2005
The Duplicitous Lady Luck (and not following a winning plan)
Last night - made the money again. Got my pre-1st-break double through with QQ. 1st interesting hand was with the blinds at 300/600 (antes 75). I'm dealt AQs on the SB with an average stack (5600). The chip leader (32000) is on the BB. It's folded round to me and I raise to 2400, hoping he'd call, which he did. Flop comes AK8. I know a bet here will scare him off, so I check. I wanted him to try and take the pot. However, he checked behind. Turn is another 8. Now I'm worried he has an eight. He may not have bet the flop, fearing a check raise. I check, he follows. A 3 falls on the river. I have 3200 and there's 5550 in the pot. I stick them all-in - if he folds, he folds. Luckily for me, he doesn't. He shows 63, and I double through to 11860, which puts me 21st of 85. Twenty minutes later and the second break finds me with 14,500 chips and 23rd of 55.
Not long after, I get AJ in mid-position. An early player (who only has a little over 2BB left) goes all in. With blinds at 800/1600 and antes of 200, there is 4200 in the pot before EP stuck his chips in. An all-in raise from me will knock out all but a monster behind me, and give me just over 2/1 odds. I'd be 45% against an under pair and about 28% if he's got KK, QQ, AK or AQ. I like the odds so make the push. He shows 22 and flop comes J84 (2 clubs). Turn is J of clubs. I quickly look back at my cards. No club. I look at his pair. One of his twos is a club. River is, of course, another club and I'm down to 10,000 chips - just over 6BB.
I'm now looking for a half decent hand to go all in with - I only have enough chips for two rounds. I get AQ and go all in against an early limper, there's a caller behind me, plus the BB and the limper. BB is all in as well. I have the best hand - the limper has A3, and I'm winning till the river when a paired board splits the pot. So, I'm still in trouble.
I then get this run of cards. 76, J7, A2 (two all ins in front of me), 52, 74, 74 (on BB behind raise and all-in). Absolutely nothing to play. SB - I'm forced all in with 85 and get nowhere.
I'm out in 24th and win £120. The main problem with this tournament is that, with the levels as short as they are, unless you get a massive stack, losing a hand cripples you. You need your luck to hold out all night to win.
Tonight I had another go, and started really well. In the first hour, I flop a set of tens and knock out someone who limped in with 10 2 (suited, mind), and complained when his flopped two pair were no good. More chips come when, after limping with 76s, I raise all in on a flop of 578, and am called by 66. Another 7 gives me trips.
Then I get two hands which show the fickle temperment of Lady Luck. First, I get A9s and limp in. Four see a flop of A54. There's a bet of 300 into the pot of 400 from the SB. I raise all in (hmmm). SB calls and shows 54 for two pair - ouch. However, turn is a 9, giving me a better two pair, and another Ace rubs it in with a full house. I'm up to 5440 and 11th place. Hoorah!
Two hands later, I get J6 and see a four-handed flop of J82 (two diamonds) for free. I bet 450 into a pot of 600 and get one caller. I think he's either got a better Jack or a flush draw. Turn is 10 of spades. I decide he's on a flush draw, so go all in. He calls and shows QT diamonds. River is not a diamond, but it is a Queen and I'm back to just above average.
Cold cards follow and I'm 2285 at the break - 121st of 192. Ten minutes in the second session and I get QQ on the cut off. Folded to me and I raise 900 of my stack of 2700. Earlier, I'd gone all in with QQ when first in and picked up the blinds. In this hand, I wanted to get some chips. This went against the strategy I've been following (with some success) in this competition recently (all in with under 10BB, no small raises). Button called, as did SB. Flop is K33 and SB checks. I go all in for 1785 into pot of 3000 - hoping neither of them has a K or a 3. Unfortunately, button had KT and I'm out in 136th. The annoying thing is that he would probably have folded if I'd gone all in.
Note to self: when you find a strategy that seems to be working, don't go against it without a very good reason.
Still, in my last seven of these tourneys, my lowest finish is 185, whereas in the previous thirteen I'd only twice got in the last 130 - so things have definitely improved.
Not long after, I get AJ in mid-position. An early player (who only has a little over 2BB left) goes all in. With blinds at 800/1600 and antes of 200, there is 4200 in the pot before EP stuck his chips in. An all-in raise from me will knock out all but a monster behind me, and give me just over 2/1 odds. I'd be 45% against an under pair and about 28% if he's got KK, QQ, AK or AQ. I like the odds so make the push. He shows 22 and flop comes J84 (2 clubs). Turn is J of clubs. I quickly look back at my cards. No club. I look at his pair. One of his twos is a club. River is, of course, another club and I'm down to 10,000 chips - just over 6BB.
I'm now looking for a half decent hand to go all in with - I only have enough chips for two rounds. I get AQ and go all in against an early limper, there's a caller behind me, plus the BB and the limper. BB is all in as well. I have the best hand - the limper has A3, and I'm winning till the river when a paired board splits the pot. So, I'm still in trouble.
I then get this run of cards. 76, J7, A2 (two all ins in front of me), 52, 74, 74 (on BB behind raise and all-in). Absolutely nothing to play. SB - I'm forced all in with 85 and get nowhere.
I'm out in 24th and win £120. The main problem with this tournament is that, with the levels as short as they are, unless you get a massive stack, losing a hand cripples you. You need your luck to hold out all night to win.
Tonight I had another go, and started really well. In the first hour, I flop a set of tens and knock out someone who limped in with 10 2 (suited, mind), and complained when his flopped two pair were no good. More chips come when, after limping with 76s, I raise all in on a flop of 578, and am called by 66. Another 7 gives me trips.
Then I get two hands which show the fickle temperment of Lady Luck. First, I get A9s and limp in. Four see a flop of A54. There's a bet of 300 into the pot of 400 from the SB. I raise all in (hmmm). SB calls and shows 54 for two pair - ouch. However, turn is a 9, giving me a better two pair, and another Ace rubs it in with a full house. I'm up to 5440 and 11th place. Hoorah!
Two hands later, I get J6 and see a four-handed flop of J82 (two diamonds) for free. I bet 450 into a pot of 600 and get one caller. I think he's either got a better Jack or a flush draw. Turn is 10 of spades. I decide he's on a flush draw, so go all in. He calls and shows QT diamonds. River is not a diamond, but it is a Queen and I'm back to just above average.
Cold cards follow and I'm 2285 at the break - 121st of 192. Ten minutes in the second session and I get QQ on the cut off. Folded to me and I raise 900 of my stack of 2700. Earlier, I'd gone all in with QQ when first in and picked up the blinds. In this hand, I wanted to get some chips. This went against the strategy I've been following (with some success) in this competition recently (all in with under 10BB, no small raises). Button called, as did SB. Flop is K33 and SB checks. I go all in for 1785 into pot of 3000 - hoping neither of them has a K or a 3. Unfortunately, button had KT and I'm out in 136th. The annoying thing is that he would probably have folded if I'd gone all in.
Note to self: when you find a strategy that seems to be working, don't go against it without a very good reason.
Still, in my last seven of these tourneys, my lowest finish is 185, whereas in the previous thirteen I'd only twice got in the last 130 - so things have definitely improved.
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Holy Exit, Batman
OK, so I did enter the New Orleans competition after all, 120-odd entrants gave it value. Unfortunately, I didn't last too long. I found myself directly on the right of a player called The Holy. I've played him before and he's been very aggressive, though never struck me as being particularly good.
Anyway, second level (15/30), we all started with 2500 chips. I have 44 in mid position. Two limpers in front, I follow, as does The Holy. BB raises to 60, we all call. Flop comes Q66 rainbow. It's checked round to me. I bet 210 into a pot of 315. My thinking, if no one has a Q or a 6, my 44 could be the best hand. With the turn, only 2 cards help me, most of the other 45 will cause me problems. Define my hand now and I'll know where I stand. In retrospect, against four opponents (especially with one left to act behind me) this might have been ambitious. The Holy called, everyone else folded.
Turn is a 7. Pot is 720. Now, common sense dictates that my thinking here should be 'he called my bet, which means he has something (there are no draws on the board). Anything he has will beat me, therefore I don't put another chip in this pot'. That's not what I did, I bet 630 chips, following through with my display of strength on the flop. I did it because I didn't respect his call - I thought he read my bet as a bluff, and would bet big to force me off the hand if I checked to him on the turn. Why I came to this conclusion, I don't know. Part of it is that I don't want to let him win the hand. The last time we played each other was in an STT, and he cracked my Aces when he went all-in on me pre-flop with KQ. He limped for 50, I raised on the SB to 200 and then he put me all-in for the other 800 chips I had. Even though I would have called anyway, he was trying to push me off the hand. I thought he was trying the same thing tonight.
He called my 630 (pot is 1995) and the river is a 3. Then, he types into the chat box 'QQ'. Whenever I've seen people type things like this before (telling their opponent what they have) it's invariably turned out to be true. It's a sort of reverse bluff - they are trying to induce a bet. As a rule, I don't fall for it on the rare occasions it happens to me. Even though I wasn't completely sure in this case, I checked then folded to his all-in bet.
I'm still not sure what he had of course. His chat after the hand followed through on his claim of QQ ('I was scared you had 66 in the hole'), which made me doubt his original claim. Looking at the hand in retrospect, I played it badly. It could be argued my flop bet was legitimate (defining my hand there and then), though there is an equally strong argument for leaving well alone. Once that bet had been made however, that should have been it - I should have folded to a bet. Ah well, you live and learn - that's the point of this blog.
Note to self: don't get hung up about one opponent - judge each hand on its merits.
I played just one more hand. I'm on the button with 77, 1500 chips in front of me, with blinds at 25/50. There's a raise to 200 and a call in front of me. I call, thinking I'm just getting the right odds for a call, provided I can get someone to match my chips if I flop a set. The Holy, on the small blind, then goes all-in (he has me covered). It's folded round to me and I have a decision to make for all my chips. With longer than the 15 seconds you get to make your decision on the internet, I would eventually have come to the correct decision (fold). However, my initial thinking was 'he's trying it on - call'. More thought would have led me to consider what his bet meant. He went all in, overbetting the pot, therefore he didn't want to play his hand post-flop. Which hands are strong enough to think you're ahead pre-flop, but are difficult to play post-flop?
Answer - mid pairs (88 to JJ). This is what I would have (and should have) put him on. I didn't. I called and he turned over a pair of 10s, and that's me gone.
Note to self: think things through properly. And do it bloody quickly!!
So, a tournament in which I only played 2 hands, and played them both really badly. I find this far worse than a bad beat of getting a huge hand cracked, as there's nothing you can do about Lady Luck chopping your balls off, but everything you can do about playing like a eejit.
Just watching the Hit Me Baby One More Time results on the telly - Carol Decker looks good for 46! Vernon Kay, of course, looks like a prick (white polo neck indeed!).
Anyway, second level (15/30), we all started with 2500 chips. I have 44 in mid position. Two limpers in front, I follow, as does The Holy. BB raises to 60, we all call. Flop comes Q66 rainbow. It's checked round to me. I bet 210 into a pot of 315. My thinking, if no one has a Q or a 6, my 44 could be the best hand. With the turn, only 2 cards help me, most of the other 45 will cause me problems. Define my hand now and I'll know where I stand. In retrospect, against four opponents (especially with one left to act behind me) this might have been ambitious. The Holy called, everyone else folded.
Turn is a 7. Pot is 720. Now, common sense dictates that my thinking here should be 'he called my bet, which means he has something (there are no draws on the board). Anything he has will beat me, therefore I don't put another chip in this pot'. That's not what I did, I bet 630 chips, following through with my display of strength on the flop. I did it because I didn't respect his call - I thought he read my bet as a bluff, and would bet big to force me off the hand if I checked to him on the turn. Why I came to this conclusion, I don't know. Part of it is that I don't want to let him win the hand. The last time we played each other was in an STT, and he cracked my Aces when he went all-in on me pre-flop with KQ. He limped for 50, I raised on the SB to 200 and then he put me all-in for the other 800 chips I had. Even though I would have called anyway, he was trying to push me off the hand. I thought he was trying the same thing tonight.
He called my 630 (pot is 1995) and the river is a 3. Then, he types into the chat box 'QQ'. Whenever I've seen people type things like this before (telling their opponent what they have) it's invariably turned out to be true. It's a sort of reverse bluff - they are trying to induce a bet. As a rule, I don't fall for it on the rare occasions it happens to me. Even though I wasn't completely sure in this case, I checked then folded to his all-in bet.
I'm still not sure what he had of course. His chat after the hand followed through on his claim of QQ ('I was scared you had 66 in the hole'), which made me doubt his original claim. Looking at the hand in retrospect, I played it badly. It could be argued my flop bet was legitimate (defining my hand there and then), though there is an equally strong argument for leaving well alone. Once that bet had been made however, that should have been it - I should have folded to a bet. Ah well, you live and learn - that's the point of this blog.
Note to self: don't get hung up about one opponent - judge each hand on its merits.
I played just one more hand. I'm on the button with 77, 1500 chips in front of me, with blinds at 25/50. There's a raise to 200 and a call in front of me. I call, thinking I'm just getting the right odds for a call, provided I can get someone to match my chips if I flop a set. The Holy, on the small blind, then goes all-in (he has me covered). It's folded round to me and I have a decision to make for all my chips. With longer than the 15 seconds you get to make your decision on the internet, I would eventually have come to the correct decision (fold). However, my initial thinking was 'he's trying it on - call'. More thought would have led me to consider what his bet meant. He went all in, overbetting the pot, therefore he didn't want to play his hand post-flop. Which hands are strong enough to think you're ahead pre-flop, but are difficult to play post-flop?
Answer - mid pairs (88 to JJ). This is what I would have (and should have) put him on. I didn't. I called and he turned over a pair of 10s, and that's me gone.
Note to self: think things through properly. And do it bloody quickly!!
So, a tournament in which I only played 2 hands, and played them both really badly. I find this far worse than a bad beat of getting a huge hand cracked, as there's nothing you can do about Lady Luck chopping your balls off, but everything you can do about playing like a eejit.
Just watching the Hit Me Baby One More Time results on the telly - Carol Decker looks good for 46! Vernon Kay, of course, looks like a prick (white polo neck indeed!).
Curse of the Limped Kings
The £15K last night. An uneventful first hour - up from 1500 to 1770 at the break. First hand after, I get AA all-in with AJ and move to 4400. Five minutes later, my raise with 99 is reraised by 55. I take him out and go to 10,320.
With the blinds at 200/400, it's folded to me in the button with A8. I raise to 1600 and the BB goes all-in for 3500. It's 1900 more to me, with a pot of 5700, so I call, but he has AK and I'm down to 6000 chips. This hand illustrates one of the problems with these big tournaments that only have ten minute levels. The blinds rise so quickly that, once you're through the first few levels, any bet you make represents a considerable proportion of your stack. When a shortstack goes all-in against your raise, you're rarely getting bad enough pot odds not to call, even when you have a hand like A8, which was just a blind steal.
A pair of Jacks takes me to 8600 at the second break, and I'm 39th of 57, with the top 50 getting paid. Five minutes after the restart I'm dealt 77 on the BB, with blinds at 800/1600 and antes of 200. There's a mid-position limper, SB calls, and I go all in with a raise of 7700, at the pot of 6200. The limper then goes all-in and the SB folds. I knew I was in trouble, and the limper's KK duly knocked me out on 55th - 5 spots off the money.
At the bubble of these 20 or 30 quid tourneys, I'm not one to try and scrape into the money if I have a reasonable amount of chips - if I think I have a decent hand I'll go ahead and bet, so I'm not too disappointed at missing out on the £45, as if I'd won that last hand, I'd have been in good shape to finish well up the money.
I also had a go at qualifying for tonight's New Orlean's tournament, but had cold cards until I made a set of 7s which lost to a rivered straight. That left me crippled, and I eventually bowed out when I (again) went all in against someone who limped with KK.
Note to self - watch out for those who limp with monsters. These people will also generally limp with mediocre hands as well (and raise with good hands AK, AQ, JJ etc) so it can be difficult to spot, especially with the high turnover in online games.
I might buy into to tonight's New Orleans tourney, depending on the value. There's a seat for every 80 entries and 3 spots, so the overlay disappears at 240. There are currently 90 people in with 40 minutes to go. I'll make some dinner, then see what the turnout is.
With the blinds at 200/400, it's folded to me in the button with A8. I raise to 1600 and the BB goes all-in for 3500. It's 1900 more to me, with a pot of 5700, so I call, but he has AK and I'm down to 6000 chips. This hand illustrates one of the problems with these big tournaments that only have ten minute levels. The blinds rise so quickly that, once you're through the first few levels, any bet you make represents a considerable proportion of your stack. When a shortstack goes all-in against your raise, you're rarely getting bad enough pot odds not to call, even when you have a hand like A8, which was just a blind steal.
A pair of Jacks takes me to 8600 at the second break, and I'm 39th of 57, with the top 50 getting paid. Five minutes after the restart I'm dealt 77 on the BB, with blinds at 800/1600 and antes of 200. There's a mid-position limper, SB calls, and I go all in with a raise of 7700, at the pot of 6200. The limper then goes all-in and the SB folds. I knew I was in trouble, and the limper's KK duly knocked me out on 55th - 5 spots off the money.
At the bubble of these 20 or 30 quid tourneys, I'm not one to try and scrape into the money if I have a reasonable amount of chips - if I think I have a decent hand I'll go ahead and bet, so I'm not too disappointed at missing out on the £45, as if I'd won that last hand, I'd have been in good shape to finish well up the money.
I also had a go at qualifying for tonight's New Orlean's tournament, but had cold cards until I made a set of 7s which lost to a rivered straight. That left me crippled, and I eventually bowed out when I (again) went all in against someone who limped with KK.
Note to self - watch out for those who limp with monsters. These people will also generally limp with mediocre hands as well (and raise with good hands AK, AQ, JJ etc) so it can be difficult to spot, especially with the high turnover in online games.
I might buy into to tonight's New Orleans tourney, depending on the value. There's a seat for every 80 entries and 3 spots, so the overlay disappears at 240. There are currently 90 people in with 40 minutes to go. I'll make some dinner, then see what the turnout is.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Gnothi Seauton
So who am I and why am I doing this blog?
Well, my name is Andrew and I started playing poker over the internet about 2 and a half years ago. At first, it was just £1/£2 limit poker, which I did for fun, and also because I made a profit on it (nothing big). This went fine, till the company I was working for went bust, and I was out of work for six months. Financial reins were tightened, which meant emptying my poker accounts to use the money for food and rent etc, so I didn't play any poker for about six months.
When I started working again, back to the poker I went. This time though, I decided to do it 'properly'. Books were bought, articles were read, forums were digested and contributed to - becoming a good poker player was my new project. There was initial success, steady profits were accumulated. I then discovered tournaments, and took to them like a duck to water. I won the first one I entered, and logged continued success. I even qualified for the Ladbrokes Poker Cruise last year - a $700,000 tournament taking place on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean.
Recently, however, I've been finding it tougher, and have been treading water. Why is this? Three reasons spring to mind.
1) I'm not as good as I think I am - I originally went through a period of good luck, and so my early success wasn't really due to me being really good, but just lucky.
2) Early results were an accurate reflection of my ability - I'm just going through a period of bad luck at the moment.
3) My luck and ability have remained fairly constant - it's just the other players have got better.
I definitely think more players know what they're doing now, certainly at the limit tables - there are fewer fishes on the Cryptologic network. Many players have rocked up in order to claim the free money for the first 5 hours you play every month.
As far as multi-table tournaments (MTTs) go, the higher number of players has increased my variance. When it originally began, the big evening tourney on William Hill used to get about 150 players, and I did well in this (never actually won it, but managed quite a few final tables, including 3rd, 4th and 5th in consecutive nights). Now there's regularly over 550 players, it becomes that much harder to make the final table (though when I do, the rewards will be greater).
So, that brings us to the 'Why?' of this blog - I'm making a permanent record of my ups and downs so I can properly analyse my play. Simply writing this thing will hopefully alert me to problems with my poker. Knowing me, it will probably expand to other things as well, depending on how much effort I put into it.
Well, my name is Andrew and I started playing poker over the internet about 2 and a half years ago. At first, it was just £1/£2 limit poker, which I did for fun, and also because I made a profit on it (nothing big). This went fine, till the company I was working for went bust, and I was out of work for six months. Financial reins were tightened, which meant emptying my poker accounts to use the money for food and rent etc, so I didn't play any poker for about six months.
When I started working again, back to the poker I went. This time though, I decided to do it 'properly'. Books were bought, articles were read, forums were digested and contributed to - becoming a good poker player was my new project. There was initial success, steady profits were accumulated. I then discovered tournaments, and took to them like a duck to water. I won the first one I entered, and logged continued success. I even qualified for the Ladbrokes Poker Cruise last year - a $700,000 tournament taking place on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean.
Recently, however, I've been finding it tougher, and have been treading water. Why is this? Three reasons spring to mind.
1) I'm not as good as I think I am - I originally went through a period of good luck, and so my early success wasn't really due to me being really good, but just lucky.
2) Early results were an accurate reflection of my ability - I'm just going through a period of bad luck at the moment.
3) My luck and ability have remained fairly constant - it's just the other players have got better.
I definitely think more players know what they're doing now, certainly at the limit tables - there are fewer fishes on the Cryptologic network. Many players have rocked up in order to claim the free money for the first 5 hours you play every month.
As far as multi-table tournaments (MTTs) go, the higher number of players has increased my variance. When it originally began, the big evening tourney on William Hill used to get about 150 players, and I did well in this (never actually won it, but managed quite a few final tables, including 3rd, 4th and 5th in consecutive nights). Now there's regularly over 550 players, it becomes that much harder to make the final table (though when I do, the rewards will be greater).
So, that brings us to the 'Why?' of this blog - I'm making a permanent record of my ups and downs so I can properly analyse my play. Simply writing this thing will hopefully alert me to problems with my poker. Knowing me, it will probably expand to other things as well, depending on how much effort I put into it.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
No Place At The Top Table For Me
OK, let's get this thing kicked off. Whys and wherefores will follow shortly, but I will start with details of last night's competition.
The £14,000 Guaranteed on William Hill - 580 entrants.
First hour - pretty uneventful. Dropped from 1500 to 1100 chips after I raised a couple of times with big cards which got no help on the flop. Then came a crucial hand. I limped in with 99 in early position. Two callers followed, then a raise. The blinds called, and so did I plus the two other callers. Five saw the flop of KQ9 with 2 clubs. Person before me bets 30 into a pot of about 300. Grrr. A call allows draws in cheaply, but a raise puts everyone on their guard. I decide to call, hoping the pre-flop bettor (in last position) raises. Luckily for me he does - he goes all-in (1325 chips). Big overbet, and I did think maybe he had a set of kings or queens, but I still thought I was ahead. Small blind folds, big blind then calls. He was an idiot (from what I'd seen), so I didn't mind that. I go all-in (not quite covering bet), then player behind me calls the bet. Turn and river are blanks. At the showdown I find I'm up against two hands of KT, who went all in with top pair and an inside straight draw. I quadruple through, leaving me with about 4500 chips.
At the break I'm at 3500 chips. Just after, a pair of Kings takes me to 5500 after someone tried it on with an unimproved AQ. 9500 follows soon after when I call an all-in flush draw (J high) with 88.
Next hand of note, I'm on BB, folded round to SB. The previous time it was folded round to him, he'd raised and I'd folded. This time I fully expected him to steal again, and he duly raised to 3BB. I have 78s. I call, hoping to smack him over the head with a face card on the flop. Flop comes 752, giving me top pair. He bets into me, I raise all-in and find him calling with 76. I have nearly 20,000 chips.
Hands go by. I have 99 running into a shortstack's AA, but then claw back when I force a fold on the flop with a straight draw. I grab some blinds, but then my AA comes up against a shortstack BB's T9, who flopped two pair. I'm knocked down to 7500 with blinds at 400/800 with 100 antes.
I get back up to 15000 when my A7 all-in is called by JJ and I hit my Ace. Twice in 3 hands I'm dealt AQ and take the blinds and antes.
With blinds at 1500/3000, I raise all-in when on the BB with TT and force two limpers to fold, gaining 10,000 chips. Another AQ takes the blinds, followed by A6 and A8 (I now go all-in with any ace if it's folded round to me pre-flop). Even a late raise with K3 gets the chips.
A crucial hand occurs when I have 38000 chips when there are 12 players left with the blinds at 4000/8000 and 1000 antes (18,000 in pot pre-betting). Button limps, which I read for a marginal hand. I reraise all-in on BB with 66, hoping for a fold, but expecting to be ahead if called. Button eventually calls (he had a good think) and turns over A5. He flops an Ace and I'm crippled to 10,000 chips. I hope to sneak in to the final table but am forced to go all-in with 77, wich runs into KK and I'm gone in 11th - just missing out on final table. I collect £140.
The £14,000 Guaranteed on William Hill - 580 entrants.
First hour - pretty uneventful. Dropped from 1500 to 1100 chips after I raised a couple of times with big cards which got no help on the flop. Then came a crucial hand. I limped in with 99 in early position. Two callers followed, then a raise. The blinds called, and so did I plus the two other callers. Five saw the flop of KQ9 with 2 clubs. Person before me bets 30 into a pot of about 300. Grrr. A call allows draws in cheaply, but a raise puts everyone on their guard. I decide to call, hoping the pre-flop bettor (in last position) raises. Luckily for me he does - he goes all-in (1325 chips). Big overbet, and I did think maybe he had a set of kings or queens, but I still thought I was ahead. Small blind folds, big blind then calls. He was an idiot (from what I'd seen), so I didn't mind that. I go all-in (not quite covering bet), then player behind me calls the bet. Turn and river are blanks. At the showdown I find I'm up against two hands of KT, who went all in with top pair and an inside straight draw. I quadruple through, leaving me with about 4500 chips.
At the break I'm at 3500 chips. Just after, a pair of Kings takes me to 5500 after someone tried it on with an unimproved AQ. 9500 follows soon after when I call an all-in flush draw (J high) with 88.
Next hand of note, I'm on BB, folded round to SB. The previous time it was folded round to him, he'd raised and I'd folded. This time I fully expected him to steal again, and he duly raised to 3BB. I have 78s. I call, hoping to smack him over the head with a face card on the flop. Flop comes 752, giving me top pair. He bets into me, I raise all-in and find him calling with 76. I have nearly 20,000 chips.
Hands go by. I have 99 running into a shortstack's AA, but then claw back when I force a fold on the flop with a straight draw. I grab some blinds, but then my AA comes up against a shortstack BB's T9, who flopped two pair. I'm knocked down to 7500 with blinds at 400/800 with 100 antes.
I get back up to 15000 when my A7 all-in is called by JJ and I hit my Ace. Twice in 3 hands I'm dealt AQ and take the blinds and antes.
With blinds at 1500/3000, I raise all-in when on the BB with TT and force two limpers to fold, gaining 10,000 chips. Another AQ takes the blinds, followed by A6 and A8 (I now go all-in with any ace if it's folded round to me pre-flop). Even a late raise with K3 gets the chips.
A crucial hand occurs when I have 38000 chips when there are 12 players left with the blinds at 4000/8000 and 1000 antes (18,000 in pot pre-betting). Button limps, which I read for a marginal hand. I reraise all-in on BB with 66, hoping for a fold, but expecting to be ahead if called. Button eventually calls (he had a good think) and turns over A5. He flops an Ace and I'm crippled to 10,000 chips. I hope to sneak in to the final table but am forced to go all-in with 77, wich runs into KK and I'm gone in 11th - just missing out on final table. I collect £140.
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